Unravel
by The Hellsing Alchemist
Summary: Claude Frollo was a reserved man that often tried to escape from most social events, his brother Jehan however had other plans in mind. Ugly sweaters and awkward conversations ensued. A short AU fic based on a prompt.
1. Chapter 1

Hello~! Long time since I updated my fics here, so I'm trying to get back on track with the writing this month. ^^

And so, this is meant to be a short story, based on a writing prompt sent by a friend. It was supposed to be just a chapter but it suddenly evolved into 3 parts. XD

This is a modern AU, based on the book version of the characters but also inspired by the musical Notre Dame de Paris. So, hope you enjoy this little fic! ;)

Original prompt:

 _ **Christmas kisses:**_ _More smile than actual kiss. A holds mistletoe above their heads while B rolls their eyes, but pulls A down by the collar of their ugly Christmas sweater for a heated kiss. A takes B by the waist and walks forward until they are around the corner, away from the prying eyes and hoots of the rest of their friends and family._

 _Disclaimer: The main characters, settings, etc. from The Hunchback of Notre Dame are the property of Victor Hugo. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. This story is for entertainment only and no copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

Maybe that wasn't a good idea.

The thought occurred to him many times that evening, and yet Claude Frollo couldn't find it in his heart means to stop the Christmas party that was set up by his brother. Actually, the house still belonged to him, if needed he could have put an end on all that nonsense before it even started. Especially now as he was watching chaos unfold before his very eyes, with part of the guests chatting animatedly, some were engaged in what looked like a singing contest and now he just witnessed one of them, that probably had their fair share of drinking, unceremoniously falling among the small crowd.

But time and time again he reached the dreaded conclusion he was unable to refuse the (quite loud) wailings of his younger brother for too long. That also explained why he was currently wearing this hideous sweater with the word "grump" etched on it with capital letters since Jehan actually worked and paid for the damn thing to be made for him.

" _That impish boy."_ he muttered to himself as he closed his eyes, in a last effort to hold onto his patience. Deep down, he knew he was responsible for Jehan's spoiled nature, but he couldn't bring himself to deny at least a day of festivities, he was a reclusive man but Quasimodo was also looking quite amused by the turn of events. So, he was outnumbered in that fight.

And with that thought he sighed in resignation once again and resumed his previous task of staring daggers at those who dared getting too close.

But apparently fate conspired against him.

"Dear brother!" a bright and cheerful voice accompanied by a sudden weight on his shoulders brought him down from his inner ramblings and almost knocked the man out of his chair. "Still sulking in the corner, I see. You are scaring everyone with that face, if you frown any harder I fear people will start to drop dead around the room."

"I'm not sulking…"

"C'mon, don't be such a Scrood!"

"If you intend to scold me using literary references Jehan, do make an effort to get them right." He added while massaging his brows with such force that it almost looked painful.

"Hahaha, always the soul of the party, eh?" the blond man laughed with amusement at that remark. "Why don't you walk around a bit instead of lurking in the dark like an overgrown brooding raven. I can even present you some nice girls if you want!"

"Jehan…" His voice had a warning tone but the threat seemed to fly past the young man's head. Instead, he opened up that devilish smirk that announced his older brother had just dug his own grave with that remark.

"Or… you don't like girls?"

In less than a second Claude had untangled himself from his brother and almost jumped from his seat. A bright flush of color on his face as he mustered a most indignant expression as Jehan laughed almost to the point of tears at his reaction.

However, their bickering didn't go unnoticed by all guests; one of them was watching the scene quite amused by the sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** And here's the second part of the story. I intend to write the final part soon and also hope you enjoy reading this one too. :3

 _Disclaimer: The main characters, settings, etc. from The Hunchback of Notre Dame are the property of Victor Hugo. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. This story is for entertainment only and no copyright infringement is intended._

* * *

A sudden commotion got her attention and Esmeralda looked up from the small group she was in, with Clopin and her friends, in search of its origin. And the sight she found was quite curious.

The young blond man Jehan, who invited them there, was laughing at his companion, a tall and rather stern looking man. Looking more carefully at the man, she realized she had seen him before, a few times actually. Judging by what little she knew and despite the clearly opposed personalities, some of their shared traits told her they were probably related. _"They certainly have a considerable age gap, that much I can guess."_

At this point, she couldn't help but raise a confused eyebrow at his outfit now, a bright colored sweater that had badly stitched letters but the man had his arms defiantly crossed at his chest so she couldn't read what they spelled. Anyway, it was such a stark contrast with the dark and somber style from previous encounters.

And then, as if feeling the weight of her questioning stare on him, the man turned around and looked straight up to her across the room.

For a second, the girl could swear that the color drained from his face. Esmeralda assumed he had recognized her as well so she opted for waving discreetly at him, after all they hadn't been properly introduced and she thought it was a good way to greet him from that distance. It took her a certain amount of control to not laugh at the startled reaction that followed.

Apparently shocked by her presence, he suddenly dropped his arms to his sides, momentarily forgetting about his adamant determination of hiding the full sight of his outfit from the rest of the guests. (an activity that he had been busy since the very start of that party.) The gesture then revealed glaring red letters that formed the word "grump" etched on his chest and she could feel an amused smile on her face as she finally read it. That promptly made the man realize what he just did as a flush of color crept back to his face. He then quickly recomposed himself and made a slight frantic and stiff nod in recognition and stomped away in a rush.

"Well, that's a shy one." She said to herself while considering crossing the room to attempt a conversation once he returned. It had been the third time now that he ran away for apparently no reason. She had to admit she was curious about that. Truth be told, she didn't see that kind of reaction that often.

* * *

That brief exchange of looks also didn't get past Jehan and his mischievous spirit unscathed. His eyes darted from his brother's hasty retreat to the direction he had been looking a second ago. It did surprise him to discover one of the most beautiful girls he knew standing there, with a half amused and half curious look on her face as she seemed to be following the steps he had taken.

It didn't take long until his brain connected the dots and a big grin took over his face. "Oh you sly old man, brother Claude has a crush! This is just too fun! More than that, it's perfect, haha!" and with that he eagerly rubbed his hands together as a plan already formed in his mind.


End file.
